Good Friday Clash With Home Turf Specialist's Sholing

Match Preview

Sholing v Tiverton Town 

Good Friday, April 3rd

3pm Kick Off

At The Mortgage Decisions Stadium

Darren Holmes

Tiverton will start their Easter programme and will play their first game of the final month of the season, at play off contender’s Sholing on Good Friday. A suburb of Southampton, the Hampshire based side have Saints legend Matt Le Tissier in the dual roles of Associate Director and Community Ambassador, endorsing them.

Aiden Horne battling against Sholing earlier in the season. (Viv Curtis)

The Mortgage Decisions Stadium has been a bit of a fortress for Paul Doswell's team and only leaders Walton & Hersham and Basingstoke have emerged with all Three points during this present campaign. Whilst our realistic fate was being sealed with Tuesday night's loss to Evesham, Sholing were playing out a 0-0 draw at Hanwell.

Despite survival being extinguished , Asa Hall’s men will remain focused on playing with pride and professionalism, in taking each game as it comes. Journeys to Bracknell and Basingstoke still await, but despite both of those matches being challenging, this one on paper is the most daunting trip.

The young squad should see this as testing themselves against one of the strongest outfits in this division and there should still be both team and personal targets to achieve during the remainder of this season. 

Ability and potential has never been in question, but game management and knowhow is something that is acquired. Many players will be better equipped for the next stage of their senior careers, through this experience.

Sholing manager Doswell is a shrewd operator in non league terms and has a strong CV. Long successful spells with Sutton United and Havant & Waterlooville highlight this. It was always going to be hard to follow heavily decorated manager Dave Diaper who oversaw a 2014 FA Vase win for the Boatmen and multiple promotions, but he has not disappointed.

Former Ex Southampton pro Michael Folivi who has a Premier League appearance to his name whilst at Watford, is a serial goalscorer in this division. His record stands at ; 37 goals from 57 games. His EFL career also included stints at Coventry City, AFC Wimbledon and Colchester United.

The pacy and quickfooted Folivi  also brings plenty of top non league pedigree too. Boreham Wood, Chelmsford City, Farnborough, Chesham, Enfield and Hemel Hempstead are other clubs that he has represented.

The Boatmens’ rise through the leagues has coincided with a loyalty to the club and this will be striker Dan Mason's Fourteenth campaign. The 33 year old surpassed 300 goals for our hosts in August and has a penchant for the spectacular. The 33 yr old is regarded as a living legend by the team’s supporters.

Tommy Lee-Higgs is Portsmouth born, but emerged as a youth prospect at Southampton. The young forward is a skillful technician and had non league experience with; Gosport, Bognor Regis and Salisbury ahead of signing for Farnborough who are his parent club.

Midfielder schemer, the creative and gifted 30 yr old James Hesketh spent Fifteen years with Southampton. Joining their football programme at the age of Six and progressing his way through the academy to the first team. Making his Premier League debut as a substitute against Manchester United, he also started Saints’ next game away at Burnley.

Additionally playing for MK Dons, Burton Albion, Lincoln City and Crawley Town as a loanee during his stay at Southampton, Hesketh was released in 2021 and Eastleigh was his next destination. He played 54 national League games there, prior to signing for Sholing in the 2023/24 season.

Veteran midfielder and first team coach Byron Mason along with his aforementioned brother Dan are uncles to Chelsea and England player Levi Colwill. The 39 yr old is an inspirational figure for the Boatmen and a very good footballer. His playing days began for Vosper Thornycroft in the 2005/06 season who became Sholing in 2010.

Apart from a short spell with Gosport Borough, the elder Mason has been a mainstay of the club and is very much a leader, whether in the dressing room or on the field of play. He is beyond 700 games for his team.

Blaise Riley-Snow played north of the border for Raith Rovers, after his formative years were spent at Harefield United. The 27 old returned south of the border and signed for Hendon in the 2023/24 season. An imposing presence and tidy in possession, the powerful midfielder is in his second campaign with our hosts.

Still only 23, talented midfielder Reece Wylie has made Sholing his home this term and last season. Emerging through Aldershot's academy Wylie has extensive experience in the non league and has gone on to wear the colours of Hartley Wintney, Hungerford and Gosport Borough. He was an early bloomer.

Central midfielder or central defender Jake McCarthy has a huge pedigree in non league terms. The 29 yr old has found the net on no fewer than 14 times, whilst in league action for his new team. He started this campaign at Weymouth, where for so long he was a big player. 

The cultured McCarthy also shone for Havant & Waterlooville. Playing the majority of his football in the high echelons of the Non League pyramid. The ex Bournemouth academy prospect also had a stint with Poole.

The all-action Brad Targett, is another example of the continuity in the Hampshire side's squad. The 24 year old attacking player has been a key player for the Boatmen’, first pulling on his club's shirt in the 2017/18 season.

Defender Harry Taylor has been integral to Sholing for the last Two terms and the commanding Taylor was formerly with Met Police, Hartley & Wintney and his early foray's into senior football were with Aldershot.

Versatile defender Sam Magri, 32 was a young Pro at; Portsmouth, QPR and Crystal Palace. With a wealth of experience playing for top top non league outfits, the sought after Magri arrived at the Mortgage Decisions Stadium earlier in the season from Bracknell.

Playing his part in Totton’s promotion season, Magris’s CV is an impressive read. Dover, Ebbsfleet, Havant & Waterlooville and Gosport Borough and Bogor Regis are the other clubs that the classy defender has represented.

Joe Rabbetts who is a left sided defender was part of Aldershot's production line and the accomplished 23 yr old was part of their senior squad from 2018 to 2022. He then joined Dartford and Dorking Wanderers. His signature was captured last term and he is a regular in the side.

Currently in possession of the gloves is Jack Turner. The 33 yr old is on loan from Farnborough and played professionally for AFC Wimbledon on Seven occasions as a young keeper. 

An ever-present for Farnborough In the previous Three campaigns, he joined his parent club during the 2021/22 season and has made over 200 appearances for them. Before that he amassed untold experience in lengthy spells with Slough and Staines.

Unfortunately a little injury list has started to grow for the Yellows’ and they will be hoping for good news on that front, ahead of this game. It's another huge challenge on Friday and I'm sure the lads will be giving their all.